In the midst of rumors and debate, Lieutenant-General Syed Asim Munir has been chosen to lead Pakistan’s army.
Possibly the most powerful position in the nation will be held by Lt Gen. On November 29, he will take over from General Qamar Javed Bajwa, who is stepping down. When his six-year term comes to an end, Gen. Bajwa will step down.
Lt. Gen. Munir’s appointment comes amid a bitter conflict between the military and former prime minister Imran Khan, who believes the army played a role in Khan’s ouster earlier this year.
Marriyum Aurangzeb, the information minister, made the announcement on Twitter on 24 November. According to Aurangzeb’s tweet, Lieutenant General Sahir Shamshad would assume leadership of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee.
Shehbaz Sharif, the prime minister of Pakistan, called a cabinet meeting earlier on 24 November and selected Lt. Gen. Munir from a list of six candidates for the top military position.
Lt. Gens. Munir and Shamshad’s names have been forwarded to President Arif Alvi for approval. Alvi, who is also the top military commander in Pakistan, is a member of the Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), an opposition party.
A tough journey
Since 1947, Lt Gen Munir has served as Pakistan’s army leader. He received his appointment into the 23rd Battalion of the Frontier Force Regiment after completing the 17th term of the Mangla Officers Training School. He enlisted in the military in 1986.
Lt. Gen. Munir received a promotion to the level of three-star general in September 2018. In actuality, his four-year Lt Gen term expires on November 27.
Lt. Gen. Munir is currently assigned to the position of Quarter Master General at GHQ in Rawalpindi, where he is responsible for managing all military unit supplies.
He was named director general of Military Intelligence in early 2017 and held the position for 21 months. He was chosen to lead Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the top intelligence organization in the nation, in October 2018.
Before being fired from his position, he had only been the ISI leader for eight months. It was around the time of the February 2019 Pulwama assault, which resulted in the deaths of 40 members of the CRPF and heightened tensions between India and Pakistan.
According to reports, Bajwa removed him from his position as ISI chief at the request of the previous prime minister, Imran Khan. Lt Gen Faiz Hamid, who was regarded as Khan’s confidant, took Lt Gen Munir’s place.
For a period of two years, Lt. Gen. Munir served as commander of the Gujranwala Corps. He was transferred from there to his current position at GHQ, Rawalpindi.
He was given the Hilal-i-Imtiaz in March 2018 and is the owner of the Sword of Honor.
News Mania Desk
